The Labor enquirer., 1887-02-19

Executive board OF the kpightA OF Labor
SANCTUARY. LOCAL ASSEMBLY 1927.
DEAR SIRs AND BRorHERs Your cir.
culsr of January %. 1857. came duly to
hand and has received the most careful
and earnest attention at the hands Of
this local assembly, and for thu follow
ing reasons We are unable to comply
with the instructions of said circular,
which orders all locals to turn out of the
order all members who are also men,
bers Of the Cigar Makers Interna tional
Union, who will not withdraw from said
union: v
Flrst-The rules Of our order provide
that they shall and will extend q ahelping
han d 70 all branches of"honorable toll" I"
and the execution Of said order in the
circular Of January, %, 1887. is in direct
opposition to the above principle.
Sscond-All persons are eligible to
men nbership in our noble order who
earn their living by honorable toll. no
exceptions being made excsptas against
lawyers, gamblers and persons who live
from the sale of intoxicating liquors,
cigar makers being therefore eligible to
membership and fellowship In our noble
order. \
Thlrd-The principles of our order as
far as we can discern nowhere makes
disqualification for membership the fact
that q member belongs to any religious
sect, to any political party. to any par.
ticular race, or to any other labor organ.
isatlon, in fact such distinction is pos
itively prohibited by the principles Of
our noble order.
Fourth-This assembly has members
who are also members Of the Cigar Ma.
kers' international Union who have ever
proven themselves to be earnest and
true Knights and worthy Of fellowship
in our noble order, havihg at all times
hon orably and consistently forwarded
the principles Of the Knights Of Labor.
Fifth-We do most respectfully call
your attention to the fact that the reso.
luton passed at Richmond, Virginia,
October, 1886. to-wit: Resolved. That
all cigar makers, packers, or whosoever
are employed in the cigar trade, who
are members of the Knights Of Labor
and also members of the Cigar Makers
International Union, withdraw from
said union or leave the ORDER" is uncon.
stitutional and void from the fact that
it establishes new condition Of mem
bership in the order, and should there.
fore in accordance with secti on two,
article nineteen. of the constitution Of
the general assembly have been sub
mitted to the local assemblies before its
adoption bv the general assembly and
this local never received any such pro.
posed amendment prior to the Rich
mond session.
Sixth-Believing firmly as we do that
the action of the general assembly was
unc constitutional, it il therefore self.evi-
dent fact that the general executive
Dol ard has no legal authority to enforce
SAID resolution.
Seventh-This assembly knows of but
two ways in accordance with the laws Of
the order to deprive brother Of mem
be- ership. One bv trial before regular
court of the order, the other by a unan-
imous vote of the assembly. And as we
are aware Of no charges that We can pre-
fer against the members designated by
YOUR circular Of January %. 1887, eithel
before the court of our local or the as
Sc mbly, upon which conviction could
; possibly be obtained, We must ask you
what we shall do in the premises. We
shall await your instructions which we
trust you will make explicit.
Yours frsternally, L. A. 1927.
: SAN Norr HYDE. NJ. w.
Cue T. MrRprrT RS